“How have we been persuaded to be silent in the face of evil? When did we begin to agree with those trying so hard to marginalize our views, to think that perhaps they had a point, and perhaps we shouldn’t express our views too vigorously, lest we be accused of trying to impose them on the rest of the culture? … Do we not realize that no good ever can come of such silence and inaction, that human beings whom God loves suffer when His own people fail to express boldly what He has said and when they fail to live as He has called them to live?”
– Eric Metaxas, “Letter to the American Church”
Why are we silent? Separation of church and state, taking prayer out of school, corporate adherence to silencing our religious beliefs and celebrating the wrong kinds of diversity have progressed over the last few decades.
Many of us sit like a frog in a pan of lukewarm water that gradually gets warmer until the water is boiling. The poor frog doesn’t notice he’s cooked until it’s too late. We, too, gradually accept change until we’ve moved further away from truth and righteousness than we ever imagined.
Maybe we’ve been asleep. Our light doesn’t shine while we are sleeping. We may have a good reason for sleeping through these changes taking place right under our noses. Raising kids, working jobs, caring for parents – there are so many reasons we may not be paying attention to what’s going on in the world. But it's time to wake up and pay attention.
We are called to be lights unto the world in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
We’ve also been taught to be meek and gentle, which leads some of us to silence. Silence indicates approval. It makes us like the frog in the pot, cooked and voiceless before we know it.
Can we be gentle and really let our light shine during troubling times? It’s easy to sit behind a keyboard and attack (or be attacked), so we often just let it go. We don’t talk about potentially controversial issues at work or school because we’d end up in diversity training or in the principal’s office.
But if your “light” isn’t shining, it’s dark.
How do we let it shine when we talk to people with different opinions or beliefs?
Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”
Have you ever prayed before opening your mouth? The best answers come when I do. I wish I learned that years earlier than I did.
Furthermore, when you think about why you are responding, it helps to frame the response. “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care,” is a quote often attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt. When you disagree with someone who doesn’t know you care, you put them on the defensive.
Try asking questions and really listening to answers. Sometimes it gets people thinking and eventually coming to new conclusions. This just may widen the crack to let the light in.
There will be times when it’s appropriate to be bold. There will be times when nothing works, and we offend even when we try not to.
But our job is to keep our light shining. When we do, darkness will not overcome.
Join us for "An Evening of Courage" with Eric Metaxas on Friday, November 15, 2024!
Linda Harbison Baker is Chief Development Officer for 1819 News. She was lifestyle editor of the Daily Mountain Eagle when newspapers were still printed and has raised funds for nonprofit organizations for several years.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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